Highlights included stage rehearsals for Kasper Holten's Royal Opera directorial debut of Eugene Onegin, chorus rehearsals for Nabucco, a fight workshop and vocal masterclass with the Jette Parker Young Artists, the model showing for John Fulljames's new production of La Donna del lago, the Minotaur Sitzprobe (the first rehearsal featuring both the Principal cast and the Orchestra), conductor Mark Elder's preparation for La bohème and exclusive interviews with key members of casts and creative teams. Mark Elder and Tony Pappano also gave masterclasses to singers on camera.

Watch Antonio Pappano's vocal masterclass:

Watch the stage rehearsal for The Minotaur:

A first for an opera company, the live stream was watched by viewers around the world, and featured comments and contributions from as far away as Mongolia, Korea, South Africa, Australia, the USA and Brazil.

Between the main features, presenter Kirsty Wark interviewed Director of Opera Kasper Holten and Music Director Antonio Pappano, as well as opera aficionados David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham, and Michael Portillo, former Conservative minister who, united in their views on opera, commented respectively that "the great thing about opera is the storytelling – it is the ability to transcend where you’re from" and "the thing that is bewitching about opera is the totality of it".

The day culminated in a pre-recorded broadcast of Act III of Die Walküre. Filmed using 21 Big Brother-style cameras, the audience were able to choose between camera angles for a unique glimpse at goings on backstage.

We also invited members of the public to submit videos of themselves singing Va Pensiero, the famous Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Verdi’s Nabucco, and received a host of submissions from across the globe. A selection of the videos will be incorporated into a new work by composer Elspeth Brooke, which will premiere later this year. Watch an edited compilation of entries:

Royal Opera Live is available to view on demand now at The Space until Thursday 10 January. Highlights will be available on YouTube after this date.